Electric Radiator

ABSTRACT

Space-heating apparatus, comprising a radiator with a fluid to transfer the heat and an electric heating element, general means for adjusting and controlling grouped together in two separate assemblies, in which a first assembly comprises: control elements that can be operated from the outside and selectively set by the user, a transmission means for modulating/coding signals that represent the settings in said control elements, and for transmitting said signals to a second assembly that comprises: adjusting elements and respective control means, relating at the electric current supplied to said heating element, and means for receiving and for demodulating the signals coming from said transmission means; said first assembly is arranged on the upper part of the apparatus, and said transmission means and receiving means transmit by radio-frequency or infrared signals.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved type of electrically-powered space-heating apparatus equipped with controls suitable for making the use thereof extremely easy and convenient.

PRIOR ART

Space-heating apparatus, known as “oil-filled radiators”, consisting of a radiator filled with an electrically insulating fluid, usually oil, and in which an electric heating element is immersed, are known in the prior art; said apparatus are controlled by means of appropriate adjusting and controlling means suitable for receiving the functions and settings desired by the user, and for processing said commands into appropriate signals that are in turn sent to a current adjusting device, usually a TRIAC, that controls the current in said heating element.

Said radiators are generally arranged vertically for reasons of size and to optimize heat dispersion, and the heating element is arranged horizontally and in the lower part of the radiator so as to optimize the delivery of thermal power.

As shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates the prior art, said adjusting and controlling means are logically arranged as close to the heating element as possible, for obvious reasons of structural simplicity and convenience, and are thus to be found, together with the heating element, in the lower part of the radiator, that is at the bottom, almost at floor level.

It is thus immediately obvious that such an arrangement requires some particularly awkward and difficult manoeuvring by the user, especially for users who are elderly or infirm, since they must bend right down in order to operate the controls. Furthermore the symbols associated with said controls are also on the same level, i.e. almost at floor level, which means the user must also lower his/her head to be able to see said symbols, making the use of the controls, which are in actual fact almost at floor level, even more awkward.

One possible solution to this problem could be to extend the casing in which all of said controls are housed, lengthening the height thereof, leaving the position of the means for supplying energy to and controlling the heating element substantially unaltered, at the bottom, and moving the controls to the upper part of the casing, connected by means of ordinary electrical connectors, as illustrated in the example in FIG. 2.

However, this solution has the drawback of involving considerable costs to produce a larger casing, also given the need to prepare a die for the casing, which is very expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would therefore be desirable, and it is the purpose of the present invention, to provide a space-heating apparatus, of the oil-filled radiator type described above, equipped with user-operated adjusting and controlling means that overcome the drawbacks described above.

Furthermore it must be possible to manufacture said apparatus in a simple manner using existing technology to produce a device that is economic to manufacture and easy to use, and that only involves the slightest modifications to current production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These aims are achieved with a particular type of electric space-heating apparatus equipped with the adjusting and controlling means described herein by way of a non-limitative example and with reference to the drawings attached hereto, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 show a heating apparatus of the state of the art,

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the adjusting and controlling means of a heating apparatus according to the invention,

FIGS. 5 and 6 show two perspective views respectively of the front and side of a heating apparatus according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A heating apparatus according to the prior art comprises a radiator 1 arranged vertically and inside which is arranged an electric heating element 2, usually immersed in oil; with reference to FIG. 3, the adjusting and controlling means according to the prior art are symbolically illustrated, said means substantially consisting of:

-   -   user-operated control elements 11,     -   means 21 for adjusting the electric current supplied to the         heating element 2, and     -   means 22 for controlling said adjusting means 21.

With reference to FIG. 4, the invention substantially consists of separating and physically moving said control elements 11 away from the adjusting and controlling means 21 and 22, and of arranging said control elements 11 in a first assembly 10, while said adjusting and controlling means 21 and 22 are brought together in a second assembly 20 that is physically separate from the first.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, said second assembly 20 is substantially arranged and connected to the heating element 2 in the same way as the single adjusting and controlling assembly according to the prior art (see FIG. 1), and thus at the bottom, while the first assembly 10 that contains the control elements 11 is arranged on the upper part of the heating apparatus.

No direct galvanic connections are used to connect these two assemblies. A general wireless-type solution is used instead.

In particular, again with reference to FIG. 4, the first assembly 10 is equipped with appropriate coding and transmission means 12, suitable for transmitting the functions and settings defined by the user, which are usually sent via a thermostat and a switch that is used to select the different operating modes of the apparatus. However said elements may remain unaltered with respect to the prior art, and do not fall within the scope of the present invention.

As regards the second assembly 20, it is equipped with corresponding means 23 for receiving and decoding the wireless signal that is received, and the electric signal obtained is used to control in a manner that is known in the prior art and using conventional means the operation of the heating element 2 according to the commands sent via said control elements 1.

The coding and transmission means 12, and the corresponding means 23 for receiving and decoding the wireless signal that is received, may be of the widely used type known in the prior art, preferably comprising infra-red technology, or consisting of the use of a weak radio-frequency signal; said means are now available at reasonably low prices, they are safe and reliable and allow extremely flexible use.

The present invention is specifically concerned with separating some of the functional elements of a heating apparatus of the type described herein, by placing the user-operated adjusting and controlling means in a more accessible and convenient position on the apparatus, separating them from the means for controlling the current on the heating element, which continue to be connected thereto, using wireless technology of the type known in the prior art for the functional connection thereof.

Advantageously, said assemblies 10 and 20 are enclosed in respective casings, and the transducers 24 and 25 for transmitting/receiving the signals, such as antennas, photocells, optical devices, etc., are arranged in a direct line of sight on the outside of said respective casings.

A further advantage is easily obtained if said second assembly 21 is installed in the immediate vicinity of the heating element 2, so as to maintain the compactness and structural unity of the functional components in line with current practice. 

1. An electrically-powered space-heating apparatus, comprising: a radiator containing a fluid to transfer heat from an electric heating element, adjusting and controlling means for adjusting and controlling functions of said radiator, characterized in that said adjusting and controlling means are grouped together in two separate assemblies, in which a first assembly comprises: control elements that can be operated from the outside and are suitable for being selectively set to define different operating modes of said apparatus, transmission means suitable for modulating/coding signals that represent the settings selected via said control elements, and for transmitting said signals to the outside of said first assembly, and wherein a second assembly comprises: adjusting means for adjusting the electric current supplied to said electric heating element, controlling means for controlling said adjusting means, receiving means for receiving and for demodulating/decoding the signals coming from said transmission means.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means and receiving means are suitable for transmitting and receiving radio-frequency signals.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission means and receiving means are suitable for transmitting and receiving infrared signals.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first assembly is arranged on the upper part of said apparatus.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second assembly is arranged in the lower part of said apparatus.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second assembly is directly fitted to one end of said electric heating element.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control elements comprise a thermostatic device and a device for selecting the operating mode.
 8. Apparatus according to any of the previous claims, wherein said first and second assemblies are enclosed in respective shells or casings, and that transducers of the respective transmission and receiving means are arranged in a direct line of sight on the outside of said shells.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first assembly is arranged on the upper part of said apparatus.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second assembly is arranged in the lower part of said apparatus.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said second assembly is directly fitted to one end of said electric heating element. 